To Keep A Promise
by Orion Winter
Summary: So I gotten past what happened to Ralph...now check out the aftermath...for everybody!
1. He said WHAT!

**Disclaimer: I swear to all might Hell (XD), I don't dare try to claim owership of this show!!! (although the money from doing so would be reeeeaaallllyyy nice right about now lol)**

_Ok, so I waas gonna make this a oneshot since the idea was so straight forward, but my corrupter instructed that this would be a much better way to do it. On that note, I give major credit, brownie and evil points as well as kudos, to mi mamma Vicky. The creator of all that is Spawny!!! hehehe we are so evil and love it soooo much we have a reservation in hell just for us and mi other mamma Shelly, who also responsible for all that is the Spawn. _

_When we get there.....WE ARE SOOO GONNA PAAARRRRRTTTYYYY!!!!! hehehe the devil is me frieeenndd....hehehehe._

_ok so the evil rant of over now....ENJOY PEOPLE!! and please please please review! I REEEEAALLLYYY want to see how everyone reacts to the ending that mi mamma (1) convinced me to go with. XD_

_Spawny_

Raph was sitting next to her bed when Marshall arrived to see Mary just like he did **every** day after he was done work for the day. He made sure to have Stan or Eleanor kick him out of the office by 8 pm at the latest every night on the chance that he happen to get too caught up in something. Usually, it was Mary's shooting he was so intrenched in.

He could hear a man, who Marshall knew to be Mary's doctor, talking to Raph and Mary about her recovery time. He was intending to keep walking and come back later as he wasn't exactly family and therefore not entirely privy to such information.

_Of course Mary would not only adamently DIS-agree with you on that one, she would also **find** a way to smack you for- from her hospital bed._

_And hell if he wasn't dying to know!_

His original thought to not invade and just visit with his parnter a little later came to an abrupt halt when he heard part of what the two men were discussing with her.

"Given how well she is healing, and of course with much extensive physical therapy, Ms. Shannon, I would have no difficulties signing off on your return to full active duty in just a couple of months.", the doctor assured.

Now, Marshall was almost on cloud nine. _Almost_. A couple months was a bit longer than he was sure he could deal without Mary as his partner adn he certainly did NOT want a temporary one.

He wanted Mary.

But in no way would he put her recovery under any stress or in any danger of going backwards. He wanted her better before he wanted her kicking his ass again.

Apparantly Raph didn't share his opinion.

"Oh there's need to worry about that doctor, Mary won't be going back to that job anymore." Raph ordered, with such a level of confidence and finality to it that Marshall _**should**_ have feared for his life given Mary was wide awake to hear him.

Would have too....if it weren't for the fact that **he** was the one going after him!

Marshall threw all sense of propriety and decorum out the window, as he charged into Mary's hospital room ready to strangle one Raphael Ramirez.

"WHAT!!", Mary _and_ Marshall _and_ Brandi screamed in unison.

Marshall hadn't even know she was here.

The room was suddenly deadly silent. And as the two Marshals and a second apparently **very** pissed of Shannon woman stared at Raphael, no one noticed the doctor slip quietly from the room and instruct the nurses to leave them all be unless Mary's sister or the other Marshal came to get them for Mary.

The silence didn't last long.

And it was Brandi Shannon who decided to take the first swing, so-to-speak. Surprising two US Marshals in one sitting to boot.

"What the hell just went through your head chico?" Brandi asked. She was completely miffed. Who the _hell_ in their right mind would _ever_ say something like that in regards to her sister unless it was what Mary wanted and physically couldn't say so herself? Right now she had no such problem so Brandi was left wondering what the hell kind of drugs Chico had gotten into his system.

"Brandi this is for the best for everyone, I will not have Mary-"

Again Brandit suprised them all...

"Rapael, if you don't want Marshal to shoot you **FOR** Mary, I suggest you **NEVER** finish another sentence like that."

Mary just had to laugh at the truth in Brandi's statement, while her heart was also immensly proud of her little Squish right now for recognizing the problem with Raph's words without having to have it explained to her.

"Give me a reason to shoot you right now, 'cause honestly, I'm just _itching_ to." Marshall spat.

Marshall was next up at bat it seemed.

The words were said with such venom and such hate, that Mary was stunned even further into yet more silence. Never had she seen Marshall so angry before, and Raph hadn't even done anything to him.

Marshall meant his words, he was itching to shoot her fiance, and he was angry enough to do it. Consequences be damned apparently, and that was just another thing that just wasn't like Marshall at all. Mary didn't know if she could ever like this side of Marshall anymore than what she saw of him every other day, but she didn't _not_like this side of him either.

First Brandi, who she knew to really only care about herself, and now Marshall. Her logical, think-it-all-out, geek of a partner.

It wasn't over yet though. Raph was the professional baseball player after all, so be it only fair that he get a chance to swing too.

"You have no business here!" He roared at Marshall, and Mary was then finally tempted in action.....action that her little sister brought to a halt. Brandi wouldn't let her off the bed to help him, so she just sat with up instead ready to push her sister away and spring to help her partner, her friend. For now though she just.....watched.

"Mary is **MY** fiance! **I** am Mary's family!" You have no right to judge me for anything, you know nothing about me, or Mary, her life is my business not yours-"

"You want to take a bet on that?", Marshall cut in sharply.

"Mary is mine, not yours....**MINE**!" Raph finally finished.

**_HA! i gotchya didn't I? lol breathe people, I will put up the next chapter as it is already half written, but not until you guys review, and let me know your first reactions to this ending. I REEEAALLLYY want to hear what your first thought were about what will happen to the idiot here._**


	2. Never Always, Always Never

**Disclaimer: I can't put myself through college and can barely pay rent...sooo yeah no in way hell do I own this show or it's characters.**

_Ok, so my queen of all betas, mi mamma, has returned my secong chapter to me all pretty and ready for your reading pleasure. I must thank her endlessly from the bottom of my heart for if she was not my beta, all you lovely readers would be frequently annoyed will how many small mistakes I can make. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU VIIIICCKKKYYYYYY!!!!!! my loverly vicky!!! I Love YOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Sadly there was an extremely tempting suggestion in my reviews that did not make it into this chapter, but..... __I__rishShamrock86: I swear to you, I **am** trying to fit it in to what may be the final chapter, and actually I think it may work out better than you or I ever thought. So look for it in the next chapter!!_

_Ok so on with the story then..._

_Spawny_

Once again, the room got so silent, the only thing to be heard was the heavy breathing of Mary and her sister trying to control their tempers.

And they weren't the only ones.

Marshall's eyes, from were Mary and Brandi could see them, had changed to a dark heavy blue, his gaze more deadly than Mary was with her fully loaded gun on a bad day.

"Wow, I didn't know the was a shade of blue that went that dark" Brandi whispered in her sister's ear. Both of them were no sitting on Mary's bed just watching this power play fall out.

"In all the years I have KNOWN Marshall, I have NEVER seen his eyes that blue or that dark before, not to mention seen him look that deadly." Mary shared quietly with Brandi.

Marshall could hear the Shannon women from where they were whispering about him, but to put it frankly, he just didn't care. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Brandi was angry at Raph's little....outburst, but he didn't need to see her at all to no that those words that had come out of this ass's mouth did _NOT_ sit with Mary... at _ALL_.

He, by some miracle, resisted the urge to shoot this prick and instead he did the smart thing.

He pulled his gun from it's holster on his hip....and he shakingly handed it over to _Mary_.

Now any sane person could walk in here and easliy see that Mary Shannon was all levels of pissed off, and therefore would have most definately thought that him giving a her a loaded weapon was **NOT** a smart move. Marshall knew Mary though, trusted that she would know his motivations for equiping her with **his** loaded gun, and he trusted that she would not use it instead.

_"Although that notion **is** appealing",_ he thought.

"Let's get one thing straight right now Raphael." he choked out, in a voice that one could hear the amount of strenght it took to control.

"Mary **IS** your fiance, much to my amazement, but she is **_NOT_** your property. Her life **is** my business because _she_ makes it so. I will judge you any way I damn well please when you can't even have the decency to treat her the way she _deserves_ to be treated."

"And for what I do and do not know about her, HA! you **are** and idiot, in more ways than one it seems, because I know enough about Mary Shannon to make your head spin, things I would take to my grave before I would _ever_ divulge them to you or anyone else. I know more about that woman right there than you could ever hope to know." As Marshall said all of this two things were happening. Mary was stunned with the level hatred her partner had for the man she promised to marry and with how much pride he had in knowing so much about her. Just by the way he defended his relationship with her, she could her how he treasured the trust she had placed in him with what she had ever told him. He was not only proud to know many things that Raph clearly didn't, he was _honored_ that he knew about the sides of her that no one else had been privaleged to see.

Raph looked about ready to attempt murder on the Federal Marshal in front of him.

_"How dare this man know anything about **HIS** fiance that he didn't, she was his damn it!"_ he thought.

The man finally just snapped.

"You think you are so much better than me?! You think you know her better than me, the man she loves?! You are crazy! Just because the two of you go galavanting around all day to who knows where moving wanted cri-"

"Raph!" Mary wasn't going to sit out this time. She screamed at him and at the same time tried to get up to shut him up physically....

Suddenly Marshall's full attention was on nothing else but his exotic animal as heard her give a strangled cry as her body protested in pain from the quick moves she was attempting.

"Marshall...help." Mary choked out. Her head was swimming with dizziness as the pain from her gun shot wound threatened to overwhelm her.

She suddenly felt strong arms come around her shoulders and even more gently around her abdomen in and effort to help her off the floor. Marshall didn't even let her try standing again, instead he just turned her carefully so that he could lift her up bridal style. He carried her to her bed and ever so gently laid her down, being carefull to make sure she hadn't ripped any of her stitches.

"Mare? God, are you alright?" He asked her. To Mary he sounded panicked.

"Yeah I just couldn't get back up again." She assured him.

Raph chose then to try and act like he hadn't just nearly ruined her life.

"Dios Mios Mary!, are you alright, are you in any-"

He never got further than that because Mary decided she was **finally** going to shut him up herself with....

"SHUT UP RAPH!", she roared. Mary was no longer in any mood for games, she was pissed and she hurt.

Marshall knew that this needed to be nipped in the bud and _now_. Knowing Mary was beyond controling her words _and_ her anger at the moment, he let her sit and calm down while he took control of the situation.

"Brandi, I know you won't understand and that you don't want to but, we need you to leave your sister and I to talk to Rahael alone for a few minutes." Marshall asked the younger Shannon calmly.

"But-"

"Squish, please?" Mary practically begged.

Brandi had known her sister all her life and she _knew_ her sister did **not** beg, not for anyone. She looked Mary in the eye and could see how much pain she was in and how mad she was. Whatever they needed to discuss, Mary desperately did not want her to hear, so to put her sister at ease, even just a little, she nodded to her and as she got up to leave, she leaned down to give Mary a careful hug and kissed her hair. Just like Mary used to do for her when she was little.

On her way out she turned to Raph.

"Nice knowin ya Chico, Marshall's right, my sister deserves to be treated a hell of a lot better than you _think _you treat her." then she looked to Marshall from the doorway.

"Take care of her please?" she asked him quietly.

"Always" was all he said before she turned and left.

**SOOO????? Yeah Raph is still breathing but I'm thinking since he has so little functioning braincells, why not just put those poor things out of commission for a little while? Hmmm not sure how it will come out but it's in the process so the wait shouldn't be long! **

**BTW, if no one understands the chapter title here it is: Ok so "Never Always" can probably taken a couple different ways but here's what I meant. Mary will "never" belong TO someone, but she will "always" belong WITH Marshall also, Marshall will "always" take care of her and love her but he will "never" try to own her or change her. **

**Here is one more: Marshall's view when it comes to Mary being owned could be construde as "it's always _never"_**

**_hehehehe i had WAY to much time to think about this WHILE i was typing it. .........hehehehehe_**


	3. Cajones

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, not mine, blah, blah, blah...**

_As always special thanks and MUCH love for my beta, corruptor of the Spawny. I love you DEARLY!!!!!! She is also responsible for the great title of this chapter so please send her your kudos!!_

_I also want to leave special thanks to one of my reviewers - IrishShamrock86 - you are given much love and kudos for you imagination and wonderful wit in this chapter and I hope I have given you suggestion at least partial life in this chapter ENJOY!!!_

_Ok so with that done....On with the Raph bashing (cuz he really IS a waste)!!!!!_

_Spawny_

After Brandi had left, Marshall turned from Mary close the door to her room. He turned back to return to Mary's side but she stopped him dead in his tracks with a look.  
Mary had had enough. She loved that Marshall went so far out on a limb for her but this could only ecalate further than it already had, and she couldn't allow that. she was putting and end to this - _now_.

"Stop it, both of you! Marshall I appreciate you sticking up for me, I really do, but this pissing match you two have going is going to stop. Right Now." she finished.  
She wasn't loud, she barely spoke at a normal volume, but Marshall could easily discern how angry Mary was.

And once again, Raph wasn't smart enough to know when to just shut the hell up.

"Mary you will NOT being going back there! It's to dangerous and I will not have it!", Raph threw at Mary, as a heavily accented order.

If it weren't for Mary, Marshall would have finally just decked the asshole.

"Marshall don't." she said quietly. As angry as he was, she knew his anger would not outway his concern for her. They both knew that if he did take a swing at the idiot, she would get up in order to prevent a fight. That could possibly upset her injuries, which would cause her pain. That alone held his impulses in check.

Mary knew why he 'obeyed' so easily and she decided that she would use this to take her turn to get in a few digs of her own. "You see Raph, this is what Marshall is talking about. Do you really think he just does what I tell him, follows so blindly? No" she said.

Marshall was momentarily stunned that Mary paid him that much attention to notice as to why it was he always (nearly always) did as she asked (or demanded.

_"Ah, but I guess she isn't done getting her shots in...this should be fun to watch."_ Marshall thought watching his exotic creature gear up for another round.

"You didn't pay attention to anything you were saying to us. Because of that, you didn't stop to think that if you said something you weren't supposed to, I might react without thinking first and hurt myself. Marshall hasn't tackled you yet because he knows if he does, there is a chance I am going to react before I think so as to prevent an all out fight in here-" she explained, but Marshall was the one to finish her thought.

"**I** would never take that chance.", he snarled.

"Oh yeah, the great Marshall, cares soo much for his partner. Well where were you when she got shot. Why weren't you protecting her. You're her _partner_, isn't it your _job_ to make sure this does not happen?" Raph sneared at him in return.

At these words, Marshall flinched. His face drained of all color and he could no longer look Raph or Mary in the eye. Instead he suddenly found the tiled floor a hell of a lot more interesting. He could only think how true those horrible words were. A part of him knew that Mary didn't agree with him...but he couldn't help believing them to be nothing but the truth.

Mary could not believe her eyes. In seconds Marshall had gone from ready and willing to tear her idiot fiance limb from limb and scatter the pieces, to looking like his whole world had just come crashing down. The rare, hulk-like anger that she may never seen again, she could understand that. She knew that underneith the geek, there was a badass that could kick some serious ass any day of the week. Right now though.....what she saw did _not_ sit right with her at all. His head was down, shoulders slumped, and he was slightly shaking. He knew he wasn't crying because she could still see his face. He seemed to have lost all the fight in him at the moment.

Marshall Mann looked utterly....defeated.

"What the hell Raph! That was not only completely uncalled for, it's wrong." Mary steamed.

"Mary," Marshall whispered.

Her head whipped around and her eyes snapped to his face. The pain she saw there........ _"No"_ she thought.

"He's not wrong," he choked out, "Not on this."

"Marshall-"

"However....", he continued. His anger was returning, "you are wrong to EVER bring up Mary's job to anyone. Do you realize the _laws_ she broke by telling you what she does, the _lives_ she put in danger?"

After hearing the same speech from Mary more times that he could count, Raph had had enough. He wasn't going to sit here and let the two of them gang up on him. He was not going to let Marshall barge in on his and Mary's life anymore. He wouldn't allow it!

"Mary, this has nothing to do with him, he needs to leave." Raph spit out angrily.

"No"

"Mary-" Raph tried again.

"I said 'no', Marshall isn't leaving.", she demanded.

There seemed to be a standoff going on between Mary and the prick that is her fiance. Raph seemed to be in shock and unable to process why Mary would flat out refuse to make Marshall leave when he asked her to. This was between them, Marshall had no right to know what they discussed.

Mary didn't wait long to let him in on the obvious.

"Marshall is my best friend. If you really love as you say you do, then you love all of me. You want to marry me? Then you take everything that comes with me - that means you have to deal with my job and get over whatever issues you have with Marshall." she ordered. Her tone was one her partner knew well. One he knew not to contradict.

Raph really needed to grow some brain cells or something, because the next thing he tried was beyond ALL levels of stupid, especially when it came to Mary Shannon.

"No", he stated.

"What?", both Marshals questioned - both confused as hell.

"I can try to put up with your job - maybe it's something we could try to compromise on, but no him." he stared at Marshall with something akin to disgust. "I am supposed to be you best friend Mary, we're getting married. ME! I don't want you around him anymore, I will not stand for it! Get a new partner!" He said with finality.

Marshall for one could not believe he had just heard something so incredibly stupid come out of this man's mouth.

_"Does this useless waste of oxygen* even know Mary at all?"_ Marshall wondered.

"You don't get to choose my friends for me Raph, and you certainly have NO right to tell me what to do." Mary said, rather calmly. Her gaze however was almost deadly.

"Then you choose." Raph ordered.

Marshall was for his part a little confused by that statement, but something in the back of his brain said he knew what the bastard meant and he hoped and prayed he was wrong.

_"Raph wouldn't **really** be that stupid would he?"_ He asked himself. No one in their right mind could be that braindead.

"Don't go there Raphael." Mary quietly warned him. If Marshall figured out what Raph meant, she had a feeling he would step in for what she wasn't sure she could do yet. And that just wouldn't be very pretty.

_"Apparantly he is."_ Marshall realized. His temper flared to a level that riveled Mary's just as hers came out too.

"Me or Marshall."

Time seemed to stop before.

BAM!

In the next second, Raphael Ramirez was on the floor of Mary Shannon's hospital room moaning in pain while holding a hand to cover the entire left side of his face.

***Credit for this line goes to the reviewer I mentioned at the top of the chapter - IrishShamrock86 - she left that comment in one of her many wonderful reviews and it has been burned into my brain for life... I LOVE IT!!!**

**Also major points to whomever can guess correctly what happened to Raphael...... 1. Who hit him and 2. Where was he hit?**

**Vicky you ARE NOT allowed to answer this since you already KNOW the answer!!!!!**

**I will let everyone know who gets it right (if anyone) in the next chapter.**

**Review PLEEEEAAASSSEEEE!!!!!**


	4. Well That's A Shock!

_HEY HEY HEY!!! Ms. Vicky has finally returned this next chapter for your veiwing pleasure. Ok along with much love to my lovely Vicky, cuz she is just so awesome!, 2 reviewers to call out for their awesomeness this time. _

_IrishShamrock86.....I think you will LOVE the imaginative result your ONE review from so long ago had. I hope you ENJOY!!_

_and Freaya I loved a comment you left in your review as well so I used it here.....anyone wanna scavenger hunt for it? Only i wont have a prize for you if you find it (plus i marked it so i could give credit where much credit is due so there really is no point lol)_

_Those who geussed correctly as to WHO hit Raph: __JMS529 __Michelle W._

_Sadly, until you read this, no one except me and beta no WHERE Raph was beaten so read on people!_

_Ok so no on with the story, depending on how the next one flows and comes to be, the next chapter may be the last...we are almost done here people!!_

**Disclaimer: yata, yata, yata, not mine, blah, blah, blah....**

The adreneline that got Mary off the bed was now winding down and as she looked up toward Marshall, she knew she had to put herself to the side for just a minute. She was beginning to hurt like hell but she had to ignore it or she would soon have to visit a jail cell to see Marshall anytime soon.

Using the last of her energy, she pushed herself up further and over towards her VERY pissed off partner.

"Marshall", she said, trying to get his attention. The problem was - he didn't seem to hear her.

Marshall Mann was beyond _livid_.

_"How dare he give Mary such an ultimatum."_, he thought.

To hell with decorum, to hell with the _law_. He was going to kill this asshole. As he went in for more, however, he felt a hand take his arm in a vice grip. He looked over to find the owner of the offending appendage and breath caught in his throat. His anger died.

_Mary_

"Marshall, enough." Mary whispered, for that was all her body would allow. As her pain grew - so did her grip on her partner's arm. She needed to lay down - _now_.

Marshall looked at his partner, and saw how much pain she was in. He immediately changed course.

_"When the hell did she get out of bed? How?"_ he wondered.

"Mare!" he panicked, as she started to fall. "What the hell! Why are you out of bed?" he demanded to know.

She waited until he, very gently, helped her back into the bed to answer him.

"No sense in going back to work if I don't have a partner." She explained softly, all the while looking anywhere but him. "Aside from him derserving a shot from me, you kill him, you go to jail, and then I am just screwed.", she finished.

A little slow on the uptake at the moment, Marshall hadn't quite followed his partner line of thought that well this time.

"Mary you'd get another partner." he said, without really thinking.

Mary looked at him for a second, not really sure what to make of his comment.

_"Does he know what he just said to me?!"_ she thought, more than just a little hurt.

But then she saw that he was barely able to pay attention right now. He was so concerned about her and her injuries since she had gotten out of bed, that it occured to her that he hadn't heard her underlining meaning in her words this time. She figured he might need a little help to center his mind for the moment.

She gently grabbed his chin and turned his face so as to meet his eyes. She took notice, as his attention came back into place, just how beautiful his eyes really were, such an amazing, vibrant blue. It stunned her. She had never taken notice before and now to see all that worry and concern, and... _"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph"_.....the love in his bright blue eyes.

Marshall loved her!

_"What the hell has been cooking his brain lately?"_ she mentally questioned. What the hell could Marshall find in her to love?

But she was off track, and now she had her partners attention it seemed.

"No sense for me, in going back without **my** partner Marshall." she specified quietly. Now she really had his attention and she knew it.

Mary had his undivided attention alright. She was looking him sqaure in the eyes, and he figured out exactly what she meant by her original statement. "No sense in going back without **you**." That thought only furthered to calm him, but at the same time awakened his sense of guilt. She got up, when she was supposed to be resting, went after her fiance, and stayed up, all in order to stop **him** from losing his temper. Because she was afraid of losing him. Though he was guilty for being partly the cause of her pain, his heart warmed of the thought of him meaning so much to her......for all of about 5 seconds before his mind backtracked over what she said and what he just thought.

WAIT!....YOU hit Raph too?" he blurted out stupidly. It had nothing to do with the very intimate confession she had unthinkingly just made to him but still....it had to be addressed.

His slow, and slightly backwards thought process made Mary chuckle. Instead of answering him though, she mearly pointed down at her rediculous choice in a boyfriend who was still trying to ward off his pain enough to stand.

Marshall looked at the patheitc excuse for a man and noticed something he had not in his angry tirade that on any other day, even Mary would have been proud of. The side of Rapael face was already starting to bruise. Marshall had hit a real nerve apparantly because said contusion was spread over nearly the entirety of the left side of his face. However, he also noticed that position the man held himself in. He was lying on the floor on his right side in what could amount to the "fetal position". As he wondered what would make the asshole curl in on himself like that, he notice out of the corner of his eye, the smirk on his parnter's face that quickly reminded him of the "that cat that caught the canary.". Knowing Mary as he did, he easily deciphered the cause of her fiance's agony.

Mary noticed with a sick satisfaction, the all out grin that lit up her partner's face, and she knew that he had figured out what she had done and therefor why she had gotten out of bed.

He looked over at her, with what attempted to be a scolding look, but she caught the laughter in his stunning blue eyes.

"Mary," he started to scold, trying hard to keep a straight face. "That wasn't very nice, you know he may never have children now." he informed her.

"Thank God for that!" she exlaimed. She easily caught on to their banter that he was ensuing and she was thrilled about it.

Marshall saw the laughter in her beautiful green eyes, and knew that she was feeling better. They were laughing again and both were taking part in the banter they had perfected a long time ago. He knew then that, no matter how anyone tried to change her, he was right all along. No one could change Mary Shannon except herself and only if that was what she truly wanted. He couldn't wait to see her back in action again, but first she had to heal.

Unfortunately their peaceful moment was disturbed by the asshole that apprantly got a few too many baseballs to the head.*

He had managed to stand somehow and was facing the two of them, his gaze was one of utter distaste. He stupidly opted to speak..._again_.

"Mary, you see how he treats those that are a part of your life, you can't -" he started to rant, but Mary wasn't having it this time.

"Marshal" she stated simply.

"What" Both men let out, both completely lost. Raph had no clue what spurred her outbust and Marshall was confused while wondering what it was that she needed him to do.

"Marshall" she stated again. "You told me to choose, 'You or Marshall', that's my choice. Marshall."

And for once in their lives, two men who could not stand each other or the other's presence in Mary Shannon's life were left on equal ground.

Marshall Mann and Rapael Ramirez were equally....stunned.

***Credit for the line goes to Freaya, she left it in a review and this was just another line I COULD NOT get out of my head.**

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it IS mean to just leave it like that, but it's just so......perfect! plus I can just imagine the looks on all your faces.....priceless. ok well that little button down their in the middle is waiting so go ahead and leave me review! PLEEEEEEEAASSSSEEE!!?!?!?!?!!**


	5. Keeper With A Loaded Gun

_Hey all!!! The Spawny has returned from hiatus finally! I have since gotten a new laptop, that unfortunately has no wireless internet, and have moved to the wonderful state of New Jersey. No more living with the wicked witch of the Bus Driver System and her fucked up tennants. Now I am with family and soooo much closer to my corrupters thank god!!!_

_I have begun to write on a semi-regular basis so hopefully that means I will be updating more often as well. This story was never meant to be this long and I never thought anyone would REALLY take to it so well and now I am not really sure how much father to take it or how to end it. Tell me what you would like to see and I'll see what I can do people!_

_ok on with the story...._

**Disclaimer: Yeah it's mine.....riiiiiight......and I'm Bill Gates too....**

Brandi had gone for coffee while they were talking. In the cafeteria she had called her mother. She knew that Jinx liked Ralph but she was also beginning to see that Marshall was the only man in the world that she knew that genuinely loved her sister for everything she was and he also knew how to handle himself when with her. Ralph loved that picture perfect idea of Mary that he had in his head and unsurprisingly it was scarily close to the one their mother had of Mary in her own head. Brandi knew their mother would not take it well that Mary and Chico were not getting along again and by the look of things when she left her sister's room, Brandi just knew that Ralph would NOT being marrying her sister. To give Mary a bit of a break she decided to be the one to clue their mother in while she was with Peter so as to give her time to process the whole thing before she had a chance to throw a tirade at Mary.

She was now back outside her sister's hospital room and she had stopped when she heard what Mary had just said....

"You asked me to choose. That's my choice. Marshall."

_Could Chico really be that dense that he would ask Mary to choose between him and her best friend?_ Brandi thought.

Apparantly he wasn't as good as Brandi gave him credit for if he even further thought that Mary would choose him over Marshall.

The room was eerily silent for a moment until Brandi heard Mary scream following what sounded like someone throwing a punch. She saw the nurse at the desk get up to see what had caused the comotion in her sister's room and waved to her to let her know that she would take care of it and, gathering herself to face whatever was behind the door, walked into Mary's room.

The sight that met her eyes would forever destroy ANY respect she had ever had for Ralph.

* * *

The look on their faces was postitively priceless in Mary's opinion. Ralph looked like he had been slapped and couldn't believe it. However the only expression she was concerned with was the one she was currently staring at.

Marshall.

Her partner that knew just about everthing in the world, her best friend, looked for all the world like he had just been handed undesputable proof of the most impossible theory and he had no clue what so ever what to do with it. She could also practically see the gears turning in his head. She watched, riveted to his blue eyes as the information he had just been presented with work it's way through his brain. She watched as the confusion and shock in his expression became one of surprise and modesty. The emotions running through his eyes was much more intense however. They were blank for the time it took him to process everthing and then she watched as his eyes softened as they made contact with hers. He was looking at her with such adoration in his eyes that it nearly took her breath away and she would swear she saw tears there. She was itching to talk to him and find out what exactly was going on in his head right now.

Marshall was thinking just about the same thing.

_What the hell is going through her head that she would choose me over her FIANCE?_ he thought. Not that Marshall honestly believed that Ralph was in any way good enough for Mary but still......

She said she chose....._him_.

It boggled his mind until he noticed that she was staring at him, waiting for him to process the bombshell she had just unleashed. The look in her eyes is what finally put his mind at ease and filled him with so much pride he thought his ego would surely burst much to his partner's amusement. There in her gorgeous green eyes he saw complete and total trust. Now Marshall knew that his partner trusted him with her life....if not they would have been having some dire problems long before now. No, what Marshall Mann saw now was that right here, and more so than any other man in her life, like her fiance, Mary Shannon trusted him....with her _heart_.

* * *

Ralph could not believe what he had just heard.

His fiance just chose her **partner** over him!

He had no clue he could ever feel so mad in all his life. He looked up at Mary to tell her how wrong she was and how much of a mistake she was making and there he saw what made his blood finally boil over and his temper blow.

Mary's gaze was rivetted not on him and how he would take her rejection, but her partner.

He finally snapped and launched himself at the man that was the cause for all his problems......Marshall Mann.

* * *

No one knew what happened first whether it was Mary getting up out of bed when her body was not anywhere near ready for, Chico going after Marshall and pinning him to the ground while he beat the Marshal on every part of his body that he could reach, or Brandi coming in to the room and joining the fray.

While Mary and Marshall appeared to be in the middle of a staring contest Ralph decided then that Mary's partner was not only the reason for all of his problems, but also that Marshall Mann clearly needed to go...._now_.

**SLAM**

Mary watched as her now ex-fiance went after her partner and continued to attack on the floor for about 3 seconds before, against all medical reason and her own kowledge of the pain it would cause, she flew off her bed to help her partner running on pure adreniline. She went up behind Ralph to pull him off of Marshall but that was immediately deemed wrong.

"Ralph! Stop! Get off him now!" Mary shouted.

She didn't get out much more than that because once her cries registered past Ralph's rage, he flung his arm out against her, effectively throwing her against the wall behind them. Mary cried out in pain as she flew and then fell to the floor against the wall. Brandi who had opened to door and was watching in shock, immediately snapped out of it as she heard her sister yell.

"Mary!" Brandi shrieked in fear. She rushed over to Mary to make sure she wasn't injured any further. When she looked into her sister's eyes she noticed that her gaze was on the fight still going on and on her partner.

"Mary, it's okay. Breathe please Mary." Brandi frantically begged, trying to get her sister to listen to her and to take a breath before she passed out. She watched carefully as her sister tried to calm down and began to take deep breathes with the effort.

"Mary? Come on say something, please....talk to me Mary!" She asked.

"Marshall" came a whisper so soft Brandi had to struggle to hear it. She looked back and noticed that Marshall was now fighting back with a vengance. _He must have heard Mary cry from the pain_ she thought, because her sister's partner and best friend looked like a man out for blood. Never let it be said that Marshall Mann did not look out for Mary.

"Marshall is okay Mary...more than a little angry and probably just a bit deadly right now, but he's okay." She promised.

Mary heard her sister's words but that didn't shake the fear in her heart at the thought of someone seriously hurting Marshall. At the moment though, to hold down said fear, she concentrated on her anger at the asshole who dared to hurt him. Mary was the only one who was allowed to mess with her partner. No one with the desire to live hurt her Marshall.

* * *

Marshall was caught of gaurd by the sudden attack and went straight to the floor with the force of the Dominican Baseball player's body slaming into him. In the next second he could only feel pain as Ralph began pounding on him again and again.

Before he could register anything past the shock that the guy would actually attack him, let alone in front of Mary, the idiot made what would have to be the most dangerous mistake of his life.

He had heard Mary yell at Ralph but hadn't know she had gotten up. He DID however notice when she came into view above them a few seconds before Ralph literally threw her off him and into what he assumed to be a wall. Then Marshall heard her cry of pain.

This asswipe hurt Mary.

No one hurt his Mary.

That thought alone woke Marshall's brain up in an instant and that's when he went from feeling only pain to only pure unadulterated fury. He was pissed and now he wasn't going to hold back any longer. He began to fight back with deadly force that Marshal training afforded him. He punched and kicked anywhere he could reach and when the oppurtunity arrose he gave no thought to getting the guy off of him. When he finally had him, worn out and on his back, he took his gun from Mary's bed where she had left it.

Mary panic in that instant, fearing for all the world that Marshall would throw everthing away, like his life, and just shoot Ralph. More than likely in the head. She knew Marshall was angry by the way he had been fighting back and she knew why but still. What he did do not only diminished her fears, it made her heart swell with pride for the man fighting for her.

Mary and Brandi watched as one very pissed of Marshall curbed his anger, turned his gun around his hand....

Then slammed the butt of the weapon into the side of Chico's head, just enough to knock him out cold.

* * *

**SOOOO????? What do you all think?!?!?! Marshall grabbing his gun was good wasn't it? Yeeeeaaahhh it was... LOL**

**ok so review and let me know what's in those head!!!**


	6. Dershowitz Interlude

**Disclaimer: really? im not in college and still working at a mediocre job....you think it's mine?..........time for a brain scan...LOL**

The second the prick was finally down for the count, he was forgotten. Mary was still sitting on the floor with Brandi beside her. Marshall went for her as he turned to face them.

Both partners looked up at each other at the same time and froze.

"Oh God, Marshall." Mary groaned softly. She moved to get up to see how badly he was injured but was stopped short when white, hot agony riiped through her body.

"Mare, don't. It's alright. **I'm** alright." Marshall spoke queitly. He squated down infront of her and reached out to pet her hair gently. He noticed the grimace of pain on her face and the concern clouding her eyes. He knew that losing him was one of the few things that Mary Shannon would ever admit to being afraid of. What made his heart ache was, while he promised that nothing would ever make him leave her, they both knew full well that unless he quit, that she could lose him.

It was this rare scene of affection that Bobby Dershowitz in on upon arriving to visit Mary.

The second thing he noticed was the guy lying unconcious on the floor. The same guy was also the one he knew to be Mary's fiance.

"What did this idiot do?" he asked. From his vantage point it looked like the guy said something that breached all sense of intelligence and Mary had lost her temper. The notion was further believed when Marshall turned around to say something. It looked like the guy's face was used for batting practice. Hurting Marshall was practically a capital offense of the world of Mary Shannon.

"Shannon, you do know that you're not supposed to go tackling people until you gun shot wound _**heals**_ right?"he questioned. Laying on the level of sarcasm just to had some humor to the situation. Something had gone on here and Mary seemed to have gotten hurt..._again_.

"He's lucky I can't, because I didn't Deshowitz. If I had he wouldn't be breathing as he is now." the inspector spit back at him. She hurt, she was shaky and she was pissed.

Bobby flinched at the level of not only absolute hatred in her tone, but also the pain. He was about to question what the hell happened in here when Marshall killed his reason for doing so.

"I'll make sure you can take our statements Bobby. For now he needs to be arrested for assualt of two US Marshals, and Mary needs to be able to rest for tonight. Get rid of him Detective." Marshall growled out the last bit. He wasn't mad at Bobby, he was just in no mood for the steriod popping, dipshit Dominican that was still in Mary's room. He wanted him gone and for Mary to be back lying down in bed where she need to be.

One last look at the two marshals, his friends, and he didn't hesitate. He went over to the dumbass, cuffed him, and hauled his conked out ass out the door...._away _from Mary and Marshall.

**So yeah this is just a little interlude i had to put in so that the next chapter with Mary and Marshall could be a great as possible. REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!**


	7. Calm Before the Storm

_Sorry everyone! I know this was supposed to be up a while ago but when I started it, I really wanted it to be longer and that just wasn't going to happen. I have finally conceded defeat and decided just post this chapter as is. It's more like another short little interlude but what the hell right? Atleast it's something to keep you slightly entertained and wanting more until I can get those other chapters written to my perfection. _

_ENJOY!_

_Spawny_

**Disclaimer: Really? Must we go over this EVERY time? I'm still broke...enough said. lol**_  
_

The three people left in the room all let out a breath none of them knew they were holding. After a second though, it became clear to Brandi and Marshall that they had a small problem on there hands.

**Mary**.

Mary was quiet. She was still against the wall...on the floor and hadn't made any move to get up. Marshall immediately started checking her over as much as he could for any new injuries and any disturbances to her existing one. From where he was pinned to the floor beneath the idiot before, he could not clearly see just how far or truly how hard she was thrown. He only remembered the blood boiling in his veins at her cry of pain.

"Marshall I'm fine. I just need to lay down and get some really good drugs into my system later." Mary said quietly. She added a little bit of her own humor to the statement to assure him that she really was ok, as she had seen him eying her critically as to ascertain whether or not she was going to stop breathing again or not.

"I'd like your doctor to be the judge of that if you don't mind." he sent back to her.

At this, Brandi jumped into action.

"I'm going to go get him Mary, Marshall are sure you can get her back to bed ok?" she asked, to which he nodded.

Not that Brandi didn't trust her sister's care to her partner, but she knew her sister well enough to know even in pain, Mary would _still_ try to put up a fight against any kind of help. She really didn't want Mary to cause Marshall to hurt her worse because she suddenly felt the need to protect her ego.

As Brandi went to the nurses station to get her sister's doctor, Marshall stayed crouched in front of his partner with his left hand still in her golden hair. As he looked in her eyes, he could see that she was in pain but through all that had just happened with Ralph, she desperately trying to hold on to what little she thought she had left of her pride with a vice grip. He could see now that asking him to help her earlier had been unintentional and only brought about from the sudden shock of pain. Now she knew she could not get up herself but the gears were turning in her head to find a way to prove both of them wrong.

He decided to she needed to be reminded just who she was with right now.

"Mary, it's ok to ask. I know you're hurt and I would rather you ask me to help you up than to hurt yourself worse because you think I might think less of you for asking." he nudged her softly. He knew she would give in, if only because if she hurt herself trying to get up alone, then she would be kept here even longer or restricted to her bed until she left.

Mary watched her partner's face for another minute before she finally gave in.

"Marshall...I can't get up. Please...help." she choked out in a whisper. One would think he could have never heard her with how she barely spoke with any volume, but he heard her and he also heard the agony in her voice.

He smiled for her before he kissed her forehead, and moved his arms to carefully maneuver her into them so as to carry her. When he was sure she was set so as to have as little more pain as possible, he heaved them both of the floor and placed her very gently on her bed. He was about to go sit in the chair a few feet away when he felt her grab his wrist in a death grip. He gave her another small smile and instead just stretched out and pulled the chair up to her bed and place his hand back on her head to wait for the doctor to come and check her over.

Brandi came in with the doctor and stood off to the side so as not to get in the man's way. She noticed however the grip her sister had on her partner's wrist as he had made to do the same thing and step out of the way. Mary wasn't having it.

When the doctor was done looking Mary over he declared that she hadn't suffered any new injuries or any real damage to the one from her shooting. He did however put his foot down in that Mary was to rest and stay in bed from now on unless she had someone to physically help her out of it. At the end of the week she would be allowed to get up and walk all over for as long as she would like and could put up with...on the condition that someone was with her.

Just as the man was finishing explaining the ground rules to her sister, Brandi noticed that her mother was calling her cell.

_She must have gotten my message from earlier_, she thought.

The second she answered her phone her thoughts were confirmed as all she could here was her mother screeching through the phone. The height of the volume she was using caught Mary's attention and that was when Brandi knew that this time it was her turn to take of her mother. Mary wasn't the only adult anymore and she had already done more than she ever should have done. Brandi was going to give Mary a huge break and some time to rest.

She would take care of this now.

She excused herself and told Mary that she was going home and to call her for anything if she needed. She made a point to make eye contact with Marshall as well and he understood, letting her go with a simple nod.

Now she would truly see what Mary got to put up with all the time and the whole way out of the hospital and toward home, she was wondering whether or not she was really ready to handle this.

Mary watched her sister leave worried six ways from Sunday. She knew somehow that her mother would find out about all the crap that had happened with Ralph...or at least some of it. She also knew how her mother would react to the news that her and Ralph were no longer engaged. While she knew all of this, her mother's opinion was not was she was worried about.

She was worried about her sister.

Marshall noticed as his partner followed her sister out the door with her eyes. He also noticed how her gaze had yet to leave the door at least 5 minutes after Brandi had left.

"Mary?" he tried, getting no response from her.

"Mary, what's wrong?" he pried quietly. He could tell something was bothering her but he had no idea what it could be.

Suddenly she whipped her head around to address him. The look in her eyes was enough for one to think that the world was about to end.

"Marshall call Brandi and get her back here. She has no clue what the hell she is walking into." Mary practically begged.

**The little blue button down there on the bottom will do wonders for you if you want to know what happens next...**


	8. Stepping Up

**_I'm baaaackkk! YAY for all you loyal readers. Yes I know this chapter is a day later than promised, I'm sorry. I got completely swamped with last minute Christmas duties. Alas this chapter is not as long, nor does it have all that I would have liked but I was eager to get posted for you to read. _**

**_MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!_**

**_Cherokee Outlaw_**

**Disclaimer: We all know that neither Marshall Mann or Mary Shannon could ever truly be owned...that and I'm still broke.**

Brandi pulled into the driveway of her sister's house and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She looked up to see Chico's car in the driveway and suddenly everyounce of fear about doing this turn to anger.

_What the **hell** makes him think it's ok to show up here after what he did to Mary!_

As she got out of her sister's car that she had borrowed, she had one random thought float through her head...

_I'm going to have to call Peter tonight after I finish with this fiasco._

She wasn't sure how this conversation would end, but she knew her mother was mad. Mad for no logical reason. She also knew, Mary had had enough. It was truly time for her to step up and help deal with this too and no matter how unsure she was about her ability to actually have this conversation, she was angry enough that she wasn't backing down. Nearly losing Mary had opened her eyes and now she would do her damnedess to open her mother's too.  
_

Jinx heard her daughter's car pull into the driveway and got up to meet Brandi at the door. She had gotten a call about an hour ago from the police station, then went down there to bail Raphael out of jail where Mary's partner Marshall had put him - and for no reason! Jinx was hoping this was just one big misunderstanding. She was sure if that Mary just talked all of this out with Raphael then everything would be alright.

But first she needed to convince Mary to talk to her fiance, so she called Brandi.

She opened the door and went to greet her daughter, but the look on Brandi's face stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Brandi, sweetheart, what's wrong? Is Mary alright?" she asked, almost afraid of what else could happen to her oldest.

"No mom, Mary is not alright, she's in pain. As for what's wrong...What the **hell** is he doing here?" Brandi demanded, while staring daggers at Raphael standing in the doorway.

"Brandi, honey, he's your sister's fiance and he lives here..." she started, but Brandi cut her off.

"No he's not and he doesn't, not after what he just did," she corrected, "and now that I think about it, how did you get out of jail in the first place?"

"Your mother came and bailed me out." Raph said.

Brandi turned on her mother with such a viscious anger, Mary would have been proud.

"You did _**WHAT!**_" sche screeched at her mother.

Jinx for her part was used to Mary yelling at her but not Brandi. She figured now was a good time to head inside so everyone could calm down and so she could let Brandi in on a few truths about was really going on.

"Brandi, let's all just go inside and talk about this please?" Jinx begged her dramatically.

Brandi was so angry at her mother for bailing Chico out she didn't think she could handle being in an enclosed space with her for more than a minute.

_This has to be what Mary feels like all the time she deals with her._

Well if she was going to step up this would be the time to do it.

"Fine, let's go. But for the record, I am pretty sure Chico is **NOT** welcome here." she spat before she followed her mother into her sister's house.

Her mother sat on the couch with the dipshit beside her.

Brandi chose to stand.

"Now Brandi, sweetheart, why don't you tell me why you're so upset, I thought you liked Raph?" Jinx asked innocently.

Brandi snapped. With her mother sitting there talking like this idiot could do no wrong and she was five and didn't understand anything, she'd had enough.

"I'll tell you...this **_jackass_** hurt Mary!" she yelled.

Her mother just wouldn't believe it.

"That's not true Brandi! I don't know what that partner of your sister's told you but he's the one who hurt Mary. He was supposed to be _protecting_ Mary from what I was told and yet he _left_ her and then she get's shot and nearly dies. This was all his fault and then he has Mary's fiance arrested because he can't own up to it like a real man. Raph was trying to protect Mary from _Marshall_. Mary doesn't want to go back that dangerous job and that man was trying to bully her into changing her mind. Raph was only trying to protect Mary. Marshall should have been the one arrested not Raphael!" she ranted.

The whole house was do deadly silent you could hear a pin drop.

And Brandi Shannon was fuming fit to shoot someone.

_Now I know why Mary is always so damn trigger happy, _she thought savagely.

**Ok give me all you got guys! Let me know what you think and the next chapter should be up soon...with any hope...lol. **


	9. Hurricane Brandi comin through!

**Hey ALL! I have returned! I had chill at work for a few hours after my shift tonight and with no internet, I got to re-reading my story...again...and low and behold a new chapter came crawling out. hopefully I should have the next up for you VERY soon as I am busy writing it in the middle of posting this chapter here. **

**Finally the confrontation EVERYONE has been waiting for between Jinx and Brandi...OMG EPICNESS!**

**ENJOY MY FELLOW M&M LOVERS!**

**CherokeeOutlaw**

* * *

**Disclaimer: If I did...let's just say season 4 would find Mary all snuggled up with Marshall at his house and that whole Faber bullshit one VERY nasty nightmare...DIE, FABER, DIE! LOL**

"Mare, calm down." Marshall ordered softly.

Mary looked at him like he was crazy for a minute before she started nearly begging him, making his heart ache.

"Marshall, you know how Jinx is!" she cried. "Squish is walking into a minefield with a blindfold on and doesn't even realize it! She's not going to have and clue how to deal with that."

He understood, really he did. At the same time, his brain had taken in everything that Brandi had said and done during this whole fiasco over the last hour or so. He watched her step up to the plate today, more than once and now he couldn't help but have a new level of respect for her, jumping in to deal with their mother on her own. Oh yes, he knew how outragiously stupid and ignorant Jinx Shannon could be. Knew how dramatic and difficult she had been. Marshall understood why Mary had reason to be concerned, but on the other hand, Mary had always taken care of Brandi, her little Squish. Marshall got her concern, but he understood more that Mary didn't know what to do with the role reversal between them now. Hence the panic.

Mary was looking between him and the door. Back and forth like she was watching a tennis match.

He decided then and there to risk her shooting him, as she still had his gun, and as he got up from the chair he had been sitting in, Mary snapped her head back to him. The question was burning there in her bright green eyes clear as day.

_What are you doing? Where are you going?_

He didn't say anything, just kept his eyes glued to hers as he lifted himself onto her bed and lay his long frame down beside her. He very slowly and very gently brought his left arm up and behind her head.

"Marshall what-" she started to whisper but he cut her off just quietly.

"Mary relax, please" her partner asked all the while barely making a sound.

She met his gaze and notice that there in those beautiful blue eyes she was starting to drown in, he was nearly begging her to stop, slow down and just let it all be.

_Let everything go. Let someone else deal with everything._

_Let me take care of you...please._

That look in his eyes is what did her in. She caved and started to relax against his warm body as she layed her head down on his shoulder. Mary could feel as his arm around her shoulders brought her close and he layed his cheek against her hair.

This was Marshall. **Her** Marshall. Her walking wikipedia, know the handbook cover to cover, secret badass Marshall. Marshall was good.

Marshall was warm, and safe.

* * *

Brandi didn't know what she was more viciously angry about.

**Her mother had not been drinking and therefore was completely sober in her beliefs.**

**Her mother believed that Marshall had actually caused Mary harm.**

**Chico had actually told fed her mother that pack of lies against Marshall.**

Brandi, for her part, absolutley adored Marshall Mann. She would like to call him her friend. She might not think she has earned that from him yet but one day she would like to. He helped her so much to keep her out of prison, that she would be forever grateful. Brandi knew that he did it for Mary but still, she appreciated his and her sister's help more than they would ever truly know.

Brandi also wasn't as blind as people liked to believe she was. She noticed the looks the guy gave her pain-in-the-ass sister. She noticed that one of the rare times her sister ever outrightly brokedown and cried was when Marshall was in the hospital. She knew that Marshall loved Mary with all his heart. Her big sister might be blind and blindfolded to that fact but she could see it plain as day. Marshall was the only man in this world that her sister truly trusted completely. No one ever got close to Mary's heart. No one was ever worthy of the capability to break it like their father had, except Marshall.

She also knew that Marshall Mann was the only man to never leave her sister behind.

And she knew he never would. He just _could not_ hurt her.

For Brandi to hear her mother say these things about a guy who practically worshiped the ground Mary walked on, to hear her say that she truly believed Marshall had hurt Mary...

_**Hell NO!**_

"You dispicable, lying, pathetic excuse for a man!" Brandi growled. She leveled the most deadly gaze at Chico. If looks could kill...

'Brandi!"Jinx shrieked at her yuongest.

"**SHUT UP!**" Brandi roared. She'd had enough.

She turned to Raph, ready to flay him alive.

"You _dare_ turn all this on _Marshall_? You actually have the balls to lie to my mother when you know full well there are three witnesses to what you did to Mary...one of them being Mary herself! You knew I was there, dumbfuck, and yet you _still_ tried to lie through your teeth and you really thought everyone would just go along with it? What the _hell_ kind of drugs are you on?" Brandi let out. She was pissed and ready itching to throw something...possibly at chico's head.

"Brandi what are you talking about?" her mother asked her dramatically. "What three people?"

"Mary, Marshall, **AND ME**." she told Jinx. "I was there mom. I heard this duchebag making decisions for Mary without even asking her, I heard him talking about her like she was his property rather than the woman he loves. **He's** the one with the idea in his head that Mary getting shot was Marshall's fault. Mary doesn't even believe that. And **CHICO** was the one to give Mary an ultimatem. He was actually _stupid_ enough to tell Mary to choose between him and Marshall. And when he didn't get the answer he wanted, I walked back in the room after calling you to see **CHICO** attack Marshall. Marshall wasn't even fighting back until Mary tried to pull this dipshit off and he _threw her into a wall_. **CHICO** caused Mary pain, mother, **CHICO** is the reason she is confined to her bed for the next week. Marshall could have shot him, hell Mary could have shot him...but no. Marshall knocked him out after he hurt Mary and then asked that cop friend of theirs to get rid of him because **MARY** wanted Chico to leave. Marshall did nothing wrong." Brandi ended her rant letting out a breath and taking in another. She was all worked up now and she'd be damned if she didn't make her mother see reason, or atleast get the bastard out of this house.

She watched as Chico's face lost all color as he got more worried. He was screwed and he knew it. Brandi also watched her mother stare at her open mouthed as she processed everything she had just been told. Suddenly Jinx stood up, causing Brandi to step back, looking like she was on a mission.

"No I don't believe it. Any of it. Raphael wouldn't lie to me or any of us. That partner of Mary's filled your head with all these lies and then got you to lie with him. No, I won't believe this!" she declared.

Brandi wanted to scream...or just find her sisters gun and shoot them both.

Jinx wasn't quite done it seemed.

"I am going to the hospital." she declared. Then she grabbed her purse and her keys and left the house slamming the door behind her.

Brandi stood there shocked for a minute. Then she turned on her heel towards Chico.

"**Get. The. Hell. Out.**" she growled. "Now, before I call Mary's boss...or worse...Marshall."

Raph looked at her for about 5 seconds unbelieving before he got up and just walked out the front door.

She stood there in her big sister's house with one thought going through her head...

_Oh no! What the hell have I done?_

* * *

**Please Review for me...PLEEEAASSSEE! I am not ashamed to beg...and to those who think it's rediculous to beg for them...how the hell am i supposed to know if something needs to be fixed if no one tells me hmmmm? so yeah, please tell me if this sucks or not. Please and Thank You!**


	10. Deep BreathAnd Jump!

_**Ok so I have been up all night. I added another chapter to my one and only Harry Potter story and decided to try and add on to one of my IPS stories. Here the finished product of an entire night of no sleep. ENJOY ALL!**_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I really isn't necessary...and to be honest, don't really want them right now...what with Marshall moving in with ABBY and all that bullshit...grrr**

* * *

A low, steady beat resounded in her ear...

Even breathing matched her own to tell her he was near sleep...

The warm touch of his fingertip as they glided, gently over her shoulder in a calm, easy rhythm...

Mary let out a breath of air she wasn't aware she was holding and let her body sink into the warmth of her partner's. Marshall probably believed she had fallen asleep but she was actually wide awake. She lay there with him, taking in everything her senses picked up on. He could feel his head resting lightly resting atop her own and his arms secured around her body, just tight enough to to ease them both but also loose enough that she could still breathe, as well as move around if she felt she needed to. She listened to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ears as her head rested on his chest and she brought her arm up to rest over his torso, holding him to her.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about him. Mary had told her sister the truth...she really had never seen her partner that angry before. While it had excited her and made her preen with pride, it had also scared her. Of course, it would be a cold day in hell before she was ever afraid of Marshall. No, she was scared for him...in a way.

"Mare?", the soft, near whisper came from above her head. She turned her head up torwards him in order to see his face.

* * *

Marshall knew she wasn't asleep. He let her go on thinking she was a good faker, for now. No, he knew there would no chance that Mary would actually sleep until her sister called or walked back through that door. So he just lay there and held her. He rested his head gently atop her soft blonde hair and let himself indulge for the moment. Taking in the faint smell of lavender and gunpowder that was uniquely Mary, he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feel of their evenly matched beathing and just having his partner wrapped safely in his arms.

And then he felt it. The slight change in pattern as she let out a deep breath and actually..._cuddled_ into him further. She barely moved at all except to bring her arm around him to hold him as he did her. No one else would have really noticed had they not been looking for it, but he could feel her move against him. Last he knew, Mary Shannon was not the cuddly type.

"Mare?", he questioned softly, not daring to disturb the peaceful little invisible bubble they had created. He watched her carefully as she turned her pretty face up to meet his.

He was slightly stunned for a moment. Marshall didn't think he had ever seen such a beautiful expression on his partner's face before. Her green eyes were soft and warm as she looked at him. She had the most content expression on her face that he had ever seen...if the only one he had ever seen, and he was amazed and curious as to what had caused her to relax to much. Just minutes ago she was in a near panic. Marshall was confused to say the least.

Mary loved to complain about her geek of a partner having rental property in her head, but truthfully, that went both ways and both marshals knew it. She could tell that he was confused about something just by the look on his face.

"Are you ok?" He asked her. Though he was quiet, she could still hear the concern in her voice.

"Are you?", she threw back at him, with just as much concern in her voice.

Marshall for his part was now officially confused. He understood if she was worried about her sister. Anyone taking on Jinx Shannon with no prior experience should merit some level of concern. What had him a little lost is her question, and the worry she leveled at him when she met his eyes. His partner seem genuinly worried about something, something that had to do with him and he had no clue what it was.

"Mare, what's bothering you? What are you worried about?" He asked her.

Instead of answering right away, she ducked her head back down to lay on his chest, directly over his heart. She decided to take comfort in just listening to his heart beat for a few minutes while she thought about how to answer his question. She let herself wonder if her worry was actually warranted at all.

_This is Marshall we're talking about here._

He noticed her take a few minutes to gather herself. Marshall wondered why she seemed so skittish about answering the question. She never really had a problem confiding in him before. Atleast not if she was worried about him. Hell, Marshall knew that Mary was the first one to give him hell if he made her worry, made sure he **KNEW** she was worried. Now he was left a little off as to what was going on in his partner's head. As he watched her lay her head down and listen to his heart, her hand resting not far away, he began to think.

What had specifically happened in the last few hours that would have her worry. Worry over something, concerning him, that she was not upfront and ready to tell him.

It couldn't be the fight with Raphael...he'd have heard an earful by now.

He hoped it wasn't that he had grabbed his gun...he hoped Mary of all people knew him better than that.

It wasn't anything he had said to Bobby D or her sister..._again, I would have had my head chewed of by now._

So what did that leave?

_You lost your temper..._ his conscience whispered to him.

That thought hit him like an oncoming frieght train. He** HAD** lost his temper. All sense of judgement went clean out the window. But Marshall was certain that Mary knew he was always protective of her...didn't she?. But as he went over the entire brawl in his head, every movement, swing and word, he realized something. Yes he was always protective of Mary, as she was of him, but he had **NEVER** lost his temper like that before. He had never spun so far out of control like that...atleast not for Mary to see.

_Oh. My. God...no..._ he cringed. He really didn't want to know the answer to this but he did. He knew he had to ask her.

Mary was pulled from the sounds of her partner's heart by his flinch. Her worry atually kicked up a little. Was she worrying him by being silent for so long? She knew she wasn't really a quiet person but she was sure Marshall knew that sometime she need to think, or just relaz a little before she let things out. Even with him.

"Marshall, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Her question seemed so simple. Hell it actually gave him an opening to ask his own question without startling her from her little drift to wonderland. He didn't want to ask her, almost terrified of the answer, but he had to know...

"Mary...are you...**_afraid_** of me?" he asked her, hearing his voice nearly crack at the end.

If she wasn't curled up so close to him, Mary was sure she never would have heard him. She was stunned stupid for a second. Did she really just hear what she thought she heard?

_What the heck? What did I just miss?_

Her eyes snapped up to catch his, but was surprised to see him avoid her gaze...adamently. The expression on his face though told her her partner was thinking. Thinking of every possible answer she could give him, and every possible result of whatever the answer happened to be.

_He's over-thinking again._ she thought with a silient sigh of relief.

"Hey, look at me. Please?" She very gently lifted her hand and guided his face towards her so he would have no choice but to look her in the eye. When his eyes met hers she just looked at him. Watched his eyes, watching her, as she ran her fingers softly down the side of his face and across his jawline. She finally brought her hand back up to hold his head in place, satisfied that she had his attention.

"Marshall, I have no idea where you got that idea but, you have never once, in all the time we have known each other, made me fear you." she stated with the upmost conviction in her tone. "What in the word would make you think something like that?" she asked him carefully. She wasn't mad, just genuinely confused where such a rediculous notion had come from.

Marshall's eyes had not left his partner's the whole she spoke to him. He heard the conviction in her voice and saw the raw truth in her eyes, as well as misunderstanding.

"I lost my temper. Mary you have never seen me lose my temper like that before." he admitted, he begged and pleaded with his eyes for her to understand where he was coming from. "I can tell you're worried about something but when I asked, you wouldn't tell me. If** I** had worried you, I'd have known it by now. I already know why you're worried for Brandi, so I am stuck wondering what's bothering you, what's got you so quiet. It was the only thing I could come up with, that I had freightened you when I lost my temper earlier." Marshall explained. He was a little unsure how she would react to such a revelation but she had a right to know that he was concerned and why.

Mary wanted to let out the most undignified giggle right then. Somehow she controlled herself and instead she decided stop her partner's over analyzing imagination before it ran rampid through his over-active brain.

"Doofus, you never scare me. However you **ARE** what's got me worried." she told him.

That got his attention.

"Why?" he blurted out. "What are you worried about?"

"It** IS** about you losing your temper, just not like you think." she started. She quickly tried to finish at the look on her partner's face. "It's **NOT** that I'm afraid of you Marshall! I am more afraid for you! I wasn't sure you were going to completely lose it on me for a minute. That, and you're right, I have never seen you that angry before. So that's why I asked...Are _**you**_ ok?" she let in a slight rush. She watched his expression calm as she continued. It was soft again as she voiced her concern for him again.

This time it Marshall's turn to close his eyes and rest his head for a few seconds. He took in those beautiful scents that always reminded him of his exotic animal and just let himself breathe. When he opened his eyes again, he was immediately drawn to that amazing green that hade recently become his new favorite color.

"I'm fine. I just want you to get better. I don't get angry like that Mare. When I do it's extremely rare. He just finally pushed my last nerve." he had to close his eyes again and lean his forehead against hers in order to calm himself as he thought about what had broken his control today.

"Marshall?" she prodded gently, her hand coming back up to his face to ground him.

"I almost lost you" he choked out. "I couldn't take one more thing, one more person causing you pain or...taking you away." he croked. His eyes were shut tight as he tried to get his breathing under control.

"I'm right here Doofus." Mary whispered to him. "I'm right here to terrorize you another decade, I'm not going anywhere." she promised, just as he had promised her.

He opened his blue eyes at her words and let out a grin, just for her. One that always put a smile on her face in return.

"And you've got nothing to worry about, Sunshine" he sent back at her with a smile and light kiss to her forehead. "But I do have a question for you.."

She heard the curiousity with a little trepidition thrown in for good measure. Mary knew he would ask sooner or later, and surprisingly enough, she was ready for it. She knew what she wanted, and though she firmly still believed she didn't deserve what she wanted, she also knew what Marshall wanted. Her brain could not fathom why, but she still knew and she was done causing her partner pain. Time to face her fears like the adult she was.

_Dying, or even nearly, does strange crap to people..._she observed to herself.

"Ok, what's cooking in that oversized brain of yours wikipedia?" she resonded, adding a little humor into the mix just to hear their banter she loved so much.

"Why...me? Why choose me over the guy you wanted to marry?" he braved to ask her. He held his breath as he watched her process his inquiry and then come up with the answer. While her decision had excited, and humbled him, he was almost afraid of this answer too.

_God since when did I start asking questions of the masocistic nature?_ he wondered silently to himself.

"Because you are the only person in my life that I could** NOT** in anyway, live without. I can survive never finding my dad. I can certainly do without a steriod popping, controlling baseball player. However I can not function without you in my life...and no I do** NOT** want to learn..._**ever**_." she declared. "You keep me safe, you put up with my crap every day, though hell knows why. You know me Marshall, better than anyone in my life ever has and...and you love me for it. That is why I chose you, because I know that you love me." she finished. She took notice that he seemed to be breathing a little ragid and hoped that she had not just made the most monumental mistake of both of their lives.

Marshall was once agained completely stunned. His heart was threating to burst out of his chest while his brain was desperately trying to catch up, process and make his body function correctly.

This woman had better stop throwing him curve balls or was going to get whip lash trying to keep up with them.

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_**So yeah I know all of you have been waiting for this conversation to take place and believe me it shall. As I was writing this chapter, that is what I had intended. Unfortunately this little build up is what came tumbling out and believe me it was a bitch to claw out. Please leave me a review on what you think of this chapter and what you might like to see later on in the story.**_

_**CherokeeOutlaw**_


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